Package



May 2, 1961 Filed March 10, 1955 O. H. HULTIN PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

ATTOR/VE Y May 2, 1961 Filed March 10, 1955 O. H. HULTIN PACKAGE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

GSCqrH BY United States Patent PACKAGE Oscar H. Hultin, Quincy, Mass.,assiguor to Pneumatic v Scale Corporation, Limited,.Quincy, Mass., :1corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 10, 1955, Ser. No. 493,446v

10 Claims. (Cl. 22917) This invention relates to a package having apouring spout.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved packagecomprising a carton having an inner lining containing fiowable solidmaterial, and which is provided with a novel top closure wherein aportion of the lining exposed by detaching a portion of the cartonclosure is formed in a manner such that by applying pressure to thesides of the carton the exposed portion of the lining forms a pouringspout.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafterappear. the invention consists in the package hereinafter described andparticularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:a

Fig. l is a perspective view of a lined carton for forming the presentpackage showing the top closing flaps and the mouth of the liningextended; a

, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the package showing the lining mouthfolded and sealed with a laterally extended tab severed to form apouring spout;

v Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the present package in its completelyclosed and sealed condition;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the carton with one of its closingflaps detached to expose the pouring spout; Fig. 5 is a similar viewshowing the pouring spout in its open condition;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of compressing thesides of the container to effect opening of the pouring spout; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are side and front elevations respectively of the packageillustrating the pouring spout in its open condition.

In general the present invention contemplates a novel and improvedpackage comprising a lined carton wherein a portion of the liningclosure is adapted to form a pouring spout. In the filled and closedpackage the pouring spout is folded with one of the carton closing flapsin a manner such that when the flap is detached the lining pouring spoutmay be opened by the application of pressure to the sides of the packageto permit discharge of the contents, and upon discontinuance of the sidepressure the carton walls and the pouring spout will spring back totheir initial position to effect reclosing of the pouring spout. I

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated package comprises acarton having a body portion 10 including side and end wall panels 12,14 respectively provided with threetop closing flaps extended from andfo-ldably connected to the body panels including side flaps 16,18 andend flap 20, one of the end wall panels 14 being free of a closing flap,as shown. An inner lining or lining bag within the carton is providedwith an extended mouth portion 22, as shown in Fig. l, for forming thetop closure. After filling the package the mouth portion of the liningis folded to provide an elongated closure, indicated generally at 24,herein shown as being formed by folding two 2 opposed side walls of thelining mouth portion inwardly into overlapping relation and adhesivelysecuring the same, and simultaneously folding opposed end walls of thelining mouth portion outwardly, thus forming hollow laterally extendedend tabs 26, 28 triangular in shape, as: illustrated. In the preferredembodiment of the inven tion the hollow end tab 26 adjacent theflap-free panel 14 forming a pouring spout.

may then be severed transversely at a point intermediate the base andthe apex of the triangular tab to provide an outlet between the foldedportions of the hollow end tab in communication with the interior of thepackage and The other triangular end tab 28 may be folded inwardly ontop of the carton with the first folded flap 20, and the side flaps 16,18 may then be folded in succession one on top of the other andadhesively secured together. The flaps 16 and 18 are of such a widththat, when folded, they fully cover the top of the lining, one fiapoverlying the other, and both overlying the lining. The flap 20 is ofsuch a length that, when folded, it extends about midway across the topof the lining toward the flap-free panel. By virtue of thisconstruction, the flaps 16 and 18 provide a firm, yet flexible backingfor the pouring spout, and the flap 20 serves to seal the package, yetdoes not interfere with the bowing of the flaps 16 and 18 as describedhereinafter.

As herein shown, the last folded side flap 18 may be provided with alateral extension 30 foldably connected thereto and which is adapted tobe folded down against and adhesively secured to the flap-free panel 14,the severed tab or pouring spout portion 26 being folded down with theflap 30 as shown in Fig. 3. The flap 3! is preferably secured to thepanel 14 by relatively small bonding areas of adhesive, indicated at 32,to provide a frangible anchorage readily breakable to facilitatesubsequent detachment of the flap from the panel 14, and the fold linebetween the flap 30 and the side flap 18 may and preferably will beweakened by providing spaced perforations or slits along the fold line,as indicated at 34, to facilitate'subsequent tearing of the flap 30 fromthe carton when opening the same.

From the description thus far it will be seen that in use the fiapportion 30 may be readily detached from the panel 1 14 and torn off theclosing flap 18 to expose the underlying pouring spout 26 which inpractice may spring up to its outwardly extended position, as shown inFig; 4, or may be lifted up to this position by the consume-r.Thereupon, application of pressure to the sides of the cartonwillel'fect bowing out of the end wall panel 14 and the top closingflaps together with the adjacent lining spout portions to open thepouring spout, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and through which the contentsof the package may be poured. Upon release of pressure against the sidesof the carton, the resiliency of the carton forming material will causeit to spring back to its initial position,

thus effecting reclosing of the lining pouring spout.

In order to facilitate bending or bowing out of the flapfree panel 14upon application of side pressure the panel" flap 18 may be providedwith a scored or otherwise weakened line 44 aligned with said cutout.

From the above description it will be seen that in the present structureof package the carton is provided with a novel top closure embodying thelining closure and the carton closing flaps wherein a folded portion ofthe 2,982,461 Patented May 2, 1951,"

Likewise, to facilitatev lining exposed by detachment and removal of acarton closing fiap may be manipulated by pressure to form a convenientlining pouring spout which is self-closing or reclosable upondiscontinuance of the pressure. In a modified form of the invention thetriangular tab 26 may be left intact in the assembled package, and inuse the consumer may sever the end of the tab to form the pouring spoutafter detaching the flap portion 30. Also, in practice other types ofelongated lining mouth top closures having laterally extended hollow endtabs may be used without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a package comprising a carton havingbody panels, three of which are provided with extensions forming topclosing flaps, each of the flaps on the side panels being of a widthwhich, when folded, fully covers the top of the package in overlyingrelation, one panel being free of a top closing flap with the remainingclosure flaps adhesively secured together, and a lining within thecarton having its mouth portion folded to form an elongated closureprovided with hollow laterally extended end tabs extending beyondopposed body panels, one of said tabs having its end portion severed toprovide an outlet between the folded portions thereof, one of saidhollow end tabs extending laterally across the edge of said flap-freepanel and the other tab lying adjacent the inner face of the top-closingflap on the opposed panel, said tab being folded downwardly on saidflap-free panel, one of said carton closing flaps having a detachablelateral extension folded down and adhesively secured to the outersurface of saidflap-free body panel in the completed package with thesevered tab interleaved between the flap-free body panel and said foldeddown lateral extension, whereby detachment of said folded down lateralextension and application of pressure to opposite sides of the cartonwill effect spreading of the folds of said severed tab to form a pouringspout opening.

2. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein saidfolded down lateral extension is secured to the flap-free body panel byrelatively small bonding areas of adhesive providing a frangibleanchorage readily breakable to facilitate detachment of said laeralextension.

3. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein saidfolded down lateral extension is weakened along its fold line tofacilitate detachment thereof.

4. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein theflap-free panel is provided with a longitudinal weakened line extendingdownwardly from its upper edge to facilitate outward bowing of saidpanel and the adjacent wall of the lining upon application of pressureto sides of the carton to open the pouring spout.

5. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein the flapon the end panel is of a length which, when folded, extends about midwayacross the top of the package and at least one of the other top closingflaps is provided with a longitudinal weakened line extending from apoint adjacent the upper edge of said flap-free body panel to facilitateoutward bowing of the carton top closure and its adjacent lining closureupon application of pressure to the sides of the carton to open thepouring spout.

6. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein one of thetop closing flaps comprising the last folded flap is provided with alongitudinal weakened line extending from a point adjacent the upperedge of said flap-free body panel, the underlying flap having a cutoutportion therein extending from a point adjacent the upper edge of saidflap-free body panel and aligned with said weakened line to permitoutward bowing of the carton top closure and its adjacent lining portionupon application of pressure to the sides of the carton to open thepouring spout.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a package comprising a carton havingside and end wall panels, three of said panels being provided withextensions forming top closing flaps. each of the fiaps on the sidepanels being of a width which, when folded, fully covers the top of thepackage in overlying relation, and the flap on the end panel being of alength which, when folded, extends about midway across the top of thepackage, said flaps being adhesively joined to sealingly close thepackage, one of the end wall panels being free of a top closing flap,and a lining within the carton having its mouth portion folded to forman elongated closure provided with hollow laterally extended triangularend tabs extending beyond the end wall panels, the tab opposite saidflap free end panel being folded inwardly, with the folded end flap, ontop of the lining, the tab adjacent said flap-free end wall panel havingits end portion severed to provide an outlet between the folded portionsthereof, said tab being folded downwardly on the flap-free end wallpanel, the outer one of the side panel closing flaps having a detachablelateral extension extending beyond its adjacent end wall panel foldeddown and adhesively secured to the outer surface of said flap-free endwall panel in the assembled package with the severed tab interleavedbetween the panel and said folded down lateral extension wherebydetachment of said folded down lateral extension and application ofpressure to the sides of the carton adjacent the severed tab will effectseparation and spreading apart of the folds of the severed tab to form apouring spout opening, return of the carton to its initial conditionupon discontinuance of said side pressure effecting reclosing of saidpouring spout opening.

8. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 7 wherein thelateral extension of the folded down top closure flap is secured to thepanel by relatively small bonding areas of adhesive providing afrangible anchorage readily breakable to facilitate detachment of thelateral extension from the end wall panel, said flap also beingperforated along its fold line to facilitate tearing of the lateralextension from its associated top closure flap.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a package comprising a carton havingbody panels three of which are provided with extensions forming topclosing flaps, each of the flaps on the side panels being of a widthwhich, when folded. fully covers the top of the package in overlyingrelation, one panel being free of a top closing flap, and a liningwithin the carton having its mouth portion folded to form an elongatedclosure provided with hollow end tabs extending beyond the flap-freepanel and opposed panel, respectively, one of said hollow end tabsextending laterally across the edge of said flap-free panel and theother tab lying adjacent the inner face of the top-closing fiap on theopposed panel, one of said carton closing flaps having a detachablelateral extension folded down and adhesively secured to the outersurface of said flap-free body panel in the completed package with theadjacent hollow end tab interleaved between the flap-free panel and saidfolded down lateral extension, said interleaved end tab being adapted tobe severed after detachment of the folded down lateral extension toprovide an outlet between the folds thereof which may be opened byapplication of pressure to the sides of the carton to form a pouringspout.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a package comprising a cartonhaving side and end wall panels. three of said panels being providedwith extensions forming top closing flaps and one of the end panelsbeing free of a top closing flap, and a lining within the carton havingits mouth portion folded to form an elongated closure provided withhollow laterally extended triangular end tabs extending beyond the endwall panels, the tab adjacent 5 said flap-free end wall panel having itsend portion severed to provide an outlet between the folded portionsthereof, said tab being folded downwardly on the flap-free end wallpanel, one of the side panel closing flaps having a detachable lateralextension extending beyond its adjacent end wall panel folded down andadhesively secured to the outer surface of said flap-free end wall panelin the assembled package with the severed tab interleaved between thepanel and said folded down lateral extension, said folded down lateralextension being secured to the panel by relatively small bonding areasof adhesive providing a frangible anchorage readily breakable tofacilitate detachment of the lateral extension from the end wall panel,said flap also being perforated along its fold line to facilitatetearing of the lateral extension from its associated closure flap, saidflap-free end wall panel and the carton top closure being provided withlongitudinal scored lines extending in a direction away from the upperedge of said flap free wall panel to facilitate outward bowing thereofwith their adjacent lining portions upon application of pressure to thesides of the carton to open the pouring spout, whereby detachment ofsaid folded down lateral extension and application of pressure tothesides of the carton adjacent the severed tab will effect separation andspreading apart of the folds of the severed tab to form a pouring spoutopening, and return of the carton to its initial condition upondiscontinuance of said side pressure efiecting reclosing of said pouringspout opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

